My old college roommate, now an English teacher to eighth graders, shared a prompt on her social media page: “If you could not mention your profession, anything you own, who you know, where you live, any awards, etc.—how would you answer the question, ‘who are you?”

Even as a writer, and someone who really isn’t a “New Yorker” and struggling to identify myself in this city, I feel challenged by this.

However, I am observant. I take in the world around me not only through what I see but through the people I listen to. Because I listen and see, I make friends through school, work, or an evening spent at a bar. But I also find myself making friends with the barista, the person on the bench next to me in the park, or whoever shares in the same excitement or same anguish in a line waiting for the doors to open for the show.

I am my happiest when leaves crunch beneath my boots and during the first and last snowfall of the year. When my crow’s feet deepen, and my ribs hurt from laughing. My smile brightens on road trips while I belt songs with my best friends or when I discover a new city and in turn discover a new piece of myself. I have left parts of my heart in the sandy beaches of Florida, scattered across the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, and along the sidewalks butting up to the brightly painted homes of Notting Hill.

I have always loved to travel, learn new things, devour a book until my soul feels empty on the last page, and sit down with an old friend and share stories of where we last left off. I enjoy order, like labeling my jars of baking ingredients, refolding my clothes three times in anticipation of a big trip, and alphabetical or rainbow organized bookshelves. With that order, I am a bit spastic, emotional, and tackle new projects before finishing the old ones. I like repetition as much as I enjoy spontaneity.

I enjoy planning my future, setting goals, and crossing off lengthy to-do lists. However, I have always believed I am who I am today because of events and decisions I made yesterday. I am not my past, but it is what I continue to build on. My path has led me to new experiences, obstacles, and adventures, but I try and always dedicate sometime to continue to grow from the past. Rewindandunwind.com has become a collection of stories both as a reflection of what happened previously, in the present, and what I look forward to in the future. I am the writer, and these blogs have become small snapshots into my story.

I have an opening blog post that dives into the mission and outlook on my blog. Read it here to gain a broadened perceptive about me!

I also have another website, in case one wasn’t enough, to showcase what else I write about in my free time.